SEOUL– The Cabinet approved a plan Tuesday to freeze the annual salaries of senior public servants for this year, the Ministry of Personnel Management said, in line with the government’s move to cut spending and secure fiscal discipline.
Under the plan, annual salaries for public servants at grade 4 and higher will be frozen and 10 percent of their wages will be donated, ministry officials said.
It means a wage freeze for senior deputy directors and higher officials, including President Yoon Suk Yeol and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo.
Yoon’s annual salary was set at some 245 million won (US$192,898) for this year, according to the ministry.
For public servants at grade 5 and lower, their annual salaries will be raised by 1.7 percent this year, the ministry said. In South Korea’s nine-tier system, grade 1 is the highest and grade 9 is the lowest.
Meanwhile, the monthly wage for Army sergeants will be increased to 1 million won this year, compared with 676,000 won last year.
The monthly wage for sergeants will be further raised to 1.25 million won next year and 1.5 million won in 2025.
Source: Yonhap News Agency